Uganda, Jan. 28 -- President Museveni provoked a quiet storm of criticism after he reportedly declared that "Japanese are not wise traders", adding that he would no longer tolerate foreign industrial companies merely assembling instead of manufacturing in Uganda.

Closing the weeklong Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Kampala, Mr. Museveni accused Japanese investors of basically being bloodsuckers.

Predictably, the online Ugandan community hurled opprobrium at the president. Some derided him for being out of touch and others were even less diplomatic with their diction.

Aside from this, I would say that Ugandans do not only require Japanese trade. We could also benefit from Japanese culture and craftsmanship.

Specifically, I am talk...